"I've said my side," Rakitic said. "My relationship with them was never one of close friends. I believe that's hard in a group of 23 or 24 players.
"My closest friends were Andres Iniesta, [Marc-Andre] ter Stegen, [Kevin-Prince] Boateng and Junior Firpo last season. But I respect them both.
"They were my team-mates for six years and are very important players. I've always got on incredibly well and have the utmost respect for them.
"During the coronavirus lockdown, we've all been very close together, almost neighbours. I'm very thankful for how they've treated me over the years."